Tuesday 2 April 2013

Tips visiting Bandung

Bandung is the West Java capital city, so it will be easy to reach this city. If you'd like to visit LL RE Martadinata from the airport, you may take taxi or cab, usually the cab has a fixed rate from the airport. About 40,000 IDR to 50,000 IDR or about $5

If you'd like to go to LL RE Martadinata street from the Bandung train station, you have to choose a cab with meter, if not you have to negotiate with the cab driver and usually you will pay a higher fare-rate.

Or you may try angkot :) Angkot is a local public transportation, choose the Station Hall-Sadang Serang direction, and it's quite cheap, about 2,000 IDR per person or $0.2

If you'd like to visit tourism spots or shopping areas in Bandung, avoid weekends, or else you will be stuck in the middle of many people. People from Jakarta used to visit Bandung during weekends and it's really crowded. Surely, you won't enjoy shopping in a crowded situation.

Heritage Factory Outlet

This is the first Factory Outlet in LL RE Martadinata Street, or local people used to call it Riau Street. Heritage is the big factory outlet in Riau street.

Heritage FO is unique with the old building and European design. Inside, you may find many clothes racks, well it's a woman's paradise :)
There is also a pond with koi fishes, this pond, I think it become trademark in any Bandung FO or store. Most of the merchandise sold are branded or export quality.

Outside there is a cafe, local people used to wait their wives or girlfriends in that cafe. Don't go there on weekends, that place will be so full with people. If you like to enjoy shopping, then visit before weekends.

Popular Factory Outlets in Bandung West Java Indonesia

One thing that most popular in Bandung-West Java, Indonesia is the numerous factory outlets that is spread throughout the city. Those factory outlets sell many kind of fashion products, bags, shoes, accessories, belts, wallets, watches, hats and many more.

You may reach Bandung from many part of areas in Indonesia. For instance, from Jakarta, you may reach Bandung by air, or by train (Argo Parahyangan) from Gambir Station, by bus from Kampung Rambutan Bus Station, or drive your own car via the toll (Cipularang Toll) about 2 hours and half or 3 hours car drive.

There are about four different areas in Bandung where there is the best Factory Outlet : Along RE Martadinata Street, Setiabudi Street, Cihampelas Street and Ir H Juanda Street or along Dago and Merdeka street.

BANDUNG'S FACTORY OUTLETS

It was originally meant for export garment (textile) factories that open a store directly in their area so that they can sell with bargain prices. Since it was a big success, many factory outlets without the factory itself were opening in many places in the city, also with bargain price tags. Around 20 or 30 factory outlet shops around town, mostly in the Jalan Dago, Jalan Setiabudhi and Jalan Riau areas. Big signs on the road side give directions to many of the shops.

Rumah Mode Jl. Setiabudhi 41F Bandung (022) 203-5498
Export Station Jl. Sumatera No. 24-30 Bandung (022) 426-4107 E-mail exportstation@bdg.centrin.net.id http://www.exportstation.com/
Heritage Jl. Laks. L.R.E Martadinata (Riau) no 63 Bandung (022) 422-0545
Cascade Jl. Laks. L.R.E Martadinata (Riau) no Bandung
Stamp Jl. Laks. L.R.E Martadinata (Riau) no Bandung

What to buy: Enjoy bargain hunting! Take a careful inspection yourself. Check for below-standard/damaged items. Beware also for the fake products with branded name.

PASAR BARU TRADE CENTRE

Once it was a beautiful place surrounded by Chinese-Dutch style shops . Now, only a few are left. Nevertheless, it's still the hub of commerce in Bandung. Plenty of textiles, batiks and clothes in cheap and moderate prices are available. You can test your bargaining skill here. Go to Jl. Pasar Utara. A row of stalls sell all sort of snacks, most of them Bandung specialties. You're welcome to have a taste before you buy the snacks. Jalan Pasar Selatan is lined with jeans shops trying to copy the ones in Jl. Cihampelas. Some of these shops are old ones. With the permission of the owner, old building enthusiasts could enter the old shop and take photographs.

Fashion, Food and Live Music in Bandung, the 'Paris of Java'

Every weekend, visitors from all over Indonesia swarm to Bandung, a city often referred to as the Paris of Java and known for its rich culinary tradition and diverse fashion industry.

But last weekend, Bandung had something more to offer than the usual fare — the Trademark Market at the Paris Van Java Mall.

Trademark spread out over two floors and offered high-quality, locally made clothing, as well as food and live music.

This was the third time Trademark was held in Bandung. The first took place in February last year, and the second in November.

Even bumper-to-bumper traffic on Jalan Sukajadi, the main street where the mall is located, could not stop the many shopaholics who made their way to visit Trademark. Over the course of the event, more than 50,000 people came to shop, eat and have a good time.

On the first day, however, Trademark was only open to invited guests. Trademark director Saira Naisar said that this was due to the high demand.

“We invited 2,000 selected guests because we saw during our last event that the goods always sell rapidly,” she explained. “Every tenant has loyal customers, so we want to give them the opportunity to have the privilege of choosing and buying first.”

Diza Rahman of Nordhen Basic, a men’s fashion label, was taking part in Trademark for the third time because he said he liked the atmosphere of the event.

“It’s very exciting, and we put a lot of effort into getting feedback from our customers,” he explained. “They come to us, have a chat, ask [for] what they need and I get advice, even criticism, in person.”

He added that having a stall at Trademark was quite profitable.

“With this four-day sale, we can earn the same amount as a one-month sale in our store,” Diza said.

Anarima Savitri of Jazz the Way You Are, an online fashion outlet for jazz lovers, said the most important thing about Trademark for her was the ability to gain more exposure for the brand.

“Our brand is still new on the market, we have been up and running for just more than six months,” she said.

“Trademark gives us the chance to introduce our brand to a broader audience.”

Aulia Fitrisari, a stylist and fashion blogger, was one of the many shoppers in the crowd looking for hidden treasures.

“The prices here are very affordable and, of course, it is much more fun to actually buy stuff than just window shop,” she said while flirting with the idea of buying a pair of brown shoes.

“Maybe for the next Trademark, the organizers need to expand the space and put more air conditioning here,” Aulia said.

Despite the heat and the crowds, the atmosphere of Trademark was very relaxed, as friends bumped into each other, tenants interacted with their customers, and groups of people simply enjoyed an afternoon snack or listened to live music.

Trademark was founded by four people with different backgrounds: Saira Naisar, a fashion designer who graduated from Lasalle College Singapore, Irsan Ahsen Servia, who studied engineering, and Farhan Servia and Rehana Weqar, who both studied management and business.

They were all similarly concerned about the country’s fashion development and believed that it was necessary to help the many small creative businesses make the leap from homemade to professional.

“This city is known for its fashion industry and its uniqueness, and we give young, talented designers and creative entrepreneurs a chance to showcase their work,” said Editha, Trademark’s promotion and media manager. “And it’s not restricted to people from Bandung, we also invite people from Jakarta and Yogyakarta to promote their brands.”

Visitors who came during the last day of the event were the most lucky, as many brands offered heavy discounts.

What true shopaholic could resist a such a sweet deal?